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\f0\b\fs24 \cf0 Effects of Climate Change in Bangladesh
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by Stephanos Nikitas\
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\cf0 Jan. 28, 2016 \'96 The number of "climate change refugees" in Bangladesh is expected to rise dramatically in the coming decades. Around 20 million people in the Asian nation are at risk of losing their homes by 2050 because of the effects of climate change, like soil erosion, rising temperatures and water pollution. If sea levels rise by just 3.2 feet,\'a01/5 of the country -- which is located on the delta formed by some of Asia's biggest rivers --\'a0is expected to be covered in water.\'a0 Poor populations are the most vulnerable to the changing conditions.\
The people of Bangladesh are already feeling the consequences of climate change in dramatic ways. The rising sea levels, combined with increased temperatures, create unpredictable weather phenomena and sometimes make existing patterns more extreme.\
On Nov. 15, 2007, for example, Cyclone Sidr swept the Bangladeshi coastline with winds of about 155 miles per hour and tidal waves as high as 16.4 feet. It was the most intense cyclone to hit the country since 1991, affecting about 3 million people and destroying 10s of thousands of homes. The storm also caused problems with electricity and communication.\
HuffPost Greece spoke with Probal Rashid, a Bangladeshi photographer who knows the effects of climate change quite well. Through his photos, Rashid has documented the despair, grief and hardship that follow a major hurricane.\
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\i \cf0 What Do People Need to Know about Climate Refugees?\
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\i0 \cf0 The idea of photographing climate change came about when I visited Satkhira, in southern Bangladesh, to cover the flood-affected areas in 2011. Villagers in this area have been suffering one disaster after another since 2007, when Cyclone Sidr hit. Every year, they have to live in rehabilitation camps or temporarily built houses for 4 to 5 months during the monsoon.\
I visited the area again in 2012 and started to realize that there was a real urgency to make a documentary on climate change. Some regions are always waterlogged. There is water everywhere, but not a drop to drink! The most severe times are the summers and winters, when rainfall is minimum. Those who preserve some rainwater from the previous year\'92s sources are lucky; otherwise, most of the people have to travel long distances to acquire pure drinking water. The traditional way of agrarian life has been changed, due to the environmental change.\
One of the photos I took is of 15-year-old Rani Begum, who has one daughter and was married at the age of 12. The natural disasters due to climate change --\'a0combined with the lack of an adequate government safety net\'a0--\'a0compound the population\'92s poverty and drive young women towards child marriage.\
A large number of homeless people in Dhaka have lost their homes and properties through floods, river erosion and other natural calamities. They come to the city in the hope of a better future. These people have no place to hold themselves. Their day starts in dump streets and ends at the roads of nowhere.\
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\i \cf0 In your opinion, what do you think should be done to mitigate the problem?\
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\i0 \cf0 If our goal is to bring global warming under control, by reducing the release of CO
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and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, we can contribute to this global cause with personal actions. Our individual efforts are especially significant in countries like the U.S. and Canada, where individuals release over 10,000 pounds of CO
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\fs24 per person every year. We can help immediately by becoming more energy efficient. Reducing our use of oil, gasoline and coal also sets an example for others to follow. \
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\cf0 www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/bangladesh-climate-change_us_56aa5cd8e4b0d82286d53900?ir=Green&section=us_green&utm_hp_ref=green}